Youth Associations must be proactive – Minister

Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, on Tuesday, urged youth associations to play active roles at the national, regional and district levels in the implementation of the National Youth Policy (NYP).

He advised them to position themselves as the “bridges between government and the youth” to ensure that policy makers were informed on the views and aspirations of the youth.

Mr Terlabi was speaking at the Eastern Regional celebration of the African Youth Day, organized by the National Youth Authority (NYA) in Koforidua.

It was under the theme, “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding, Evolving Strategic Fora for the Implementation of the National Youth Policy of Ghana”.

He noted that major challenges confronting the youth, which the NYP sought to address among others, were access to quality education for the youth with attendant inadequate or inappropriate training for the job market.

The Minister stated that unemployment and underemployment resulting from inadequate and inappropriate training for the job market and the negative effects of urbanization and modernization among others, formed part of the challenges.

He observed that it was in the bid to realize the vision of a Better Ghana that the Government was committed to empowering and actively involving the youth in productive activities for individual, community and national development.

Mr Terlabi explained that the Government had created the enabling environment for each Ghanaian youth to develop his or her full potential and self-esteem and also institutionalized youth participation at all levels of the decision-making process to ensure the nurturing of democratic culture.

He, therefore, entreated civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, non-profit making institutions and community-based organizations to incorporate priority concerns of the NYP in their programmes and activities.

“Let us not lose sight of the crucial role civil society organizations, non-governmental organization, non-profit making institutions and community-based organizations play in youth development,” he said.

Mr Papa Adjei Kyeremeh, Eastern Regional Director of the NYA, observed that in the past, the celebration was commemorated only in South Africa as a tribute to the gallant young men and women in the country for their contribution and sacrifices in their liberation struggle.

He said it became a continental celebration in June 2009 when African leaders at the 17th Session of their meeting at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, adopted the celebration and slated November 1, every year as African Youth Day to be observed by all African Union (AU) member countries.

Source: GNA